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Book Review & Contest Insights from Real Reviews and Submissions
What separates great books from the rest? Below are articles with insights from real reviews and contest submissions—what works, what doesn’t, and how to improve your book. You’ll also find a wide range of articles covering writing, publishing, marketing, and more. Each article has a Comments section so you can read advice from other authors and leave your own.
Why Some Books Win Awards (And Most Don’t) — Insights From Real Contest Submissions New!
What separates award-winning books from the rest? After evaluating contest submissions across a wide range of genres, certain patterns become clear. Some books consistently rise to the top. Others, even with strong ideas and clear effort behind them, fall short. The difference is rarely dramatic—it...
What We’ve Learned From Reviewing Hundreds of Thousands of Books (And Why Most Don’t Stand Out) New!
After reviewing and evaluating books across thousands of submissions over the past two decades, certain patterns become impossible to ignore. Some books immediately stand out to reviewers. Others—even well-intentioned ones—fade into the middle or fall short. The difference is rarely luck. It comes down to...
Self-Publishing – Amazon vs Indie Platforms – Part 1
Imagine this. You’ve got three books under your belt, all of them self-published and, so far you’ve sold nearly 10,000 copies in total. You used Sellfy and Gumroad indie platforms for two of your books and the third you did through the Kindle Direct Publishing...
First Time Author Guide to the Top Publishing Companies – Part 4
This is the final part of this guide where we look at our last three companies. Draft2Digital Draft2Digitial doesn’t have as many retail partners as Smashwords does but it will distribute to Amazon as well as most of the biggest eBook retailers. They also offer eBook formatting...
First Time Author Guide to the Top Publishing Companies – Part 3
Welcome back to part 3 of this mini-series.Before you make a decision, read on for more top publishing companies: Barnes & Noble Press Once called Nook Press, this is Barnes & Noble’s self-publishing platform, accounting for around 3% of all eBook sales, mostly in the USA. Print-on-demand...
First Time Author Guide to the Top Publishing Companies – Part 2
Welcome back, let’s dive right into the list of top publishers. These are not in any particular order and you are not limited to one. KDP – Kindle Direct Publishing Amazon owns the KDP program that allows authors to publish and retail their eBooks for reading on...
First Time Author Guide to the Top Publishing Companies – Part 1
Self-publishing is now responsible for around 40% of all eBook sales and eBooks themselves account for around 40% of the total books sold across the world. This year, sales are expected to outstrip sales of print books in the USA and this is fantastic news...
A Short Guide To Selling Your Book On Google Books
Have you written a book and can’t seem to find the right platform to publish it on? Self-publishing used to be a nightmare but, thanks in no small part to the internet, you can write your book and sell it without having to go through...
Making Money With Amazon Self-Publishing – Part 3
And here we are, the final part – how to really make money. Obviously, the first step is to get your books written and uploaded onto the Kindle platform. Marketing is key – get the word out and tell everyone about your book. Start small; one short...
Making Money With Amazon Self-Publishing – Part 2
Welcome back, it's time to look at the different types of self-publishing that Amazon offers. One of the most efficient and cost-effective methods is to publish eBooks, allowing your audience to download the book immediately onto their reading device. Amazon makes this easy with their Kindle...
Making Money With Amazon Self-Publishing – Part 1
The internet has been responsible for the revolutionization of businesses and industries the world over. Take the publishing world for example. At long last, with the advent of services like Amazon Publishing, the playing field has finally been leveled. Authors have far more control over...
13 Top Tips For Working With Cover Designers – Part 2
Welcome back as we continue to look at ways that you can work with a designer for the cover of your book. Based on what brief you gave your designer, they will come up with a few concepts of their own. Check them over carefully and,...